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BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
After the discussion you will be able to:
Define a cam and follower.
Give some uses of cam and follower in design of machine
elements.
Discuss the types of cam and follower.
Draw and label parts of Cams and followers

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BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
• CAM - A cam is a rotating
element that gives oscillating or
reciprocating motion to the
FOLLOWER which is another
element of this machine by
direct contact.
• Is mainly used to transform the
motion from rotary into linear to
another part. 

Technological University of the Philippines

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BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
• The cam rotates usually at constant speed and drives
the follower whose motion depends upon the shape
of the cam.

• Almost always the cam is the driver and the follower

is the driven. 

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BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
•In a cam mechanism, the three
essential members are:

– The cam which has a curved surface

or straight surface,
– The follower and
– The frame which supports and guides.

Figure 1: Main Parts of

Cam and Follower
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The cams are classified based on the profile and its
contour:
Wedge and Flat Cams (a)
Plate Cam (b)
Cylindrical cam (c)

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BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
• A wedge cam has a wedge of specified contour and a
follower. The follower can either translate or oscillate
based on the translation motion of the cam.
• A spring is used to maintain the constant contact
between the cam and the follower.

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BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
 Figure 2: a,b,c,d
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• A cam in w/c the follower moves radially from the
center of rotation of the cam (Figure 3 a,b,c).
• In such a cam, the axis of the follower asses through the
axis of the cam.
• As the cam is rotates, its profile translates into a
particular movement of the follower usually up and
down. Plate cams are very popular due to their simplicity
and compactness.
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 Figure 3: a,b,c
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• Cylindrical cam comprises of a groove cut on its outer
periphery. The roller follower operates in a groove may
translate or oscillate.
A cylinder which has a circumferential grove cut in the
surface, rotates about its axis. The follower motion can
be either oscillatory or reciprocating type, shown Figure
4 a&b.
• They are also called Barrel or Drum Cams.
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 Figure 4: a&b
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• The followers are classified according to the motion.
Flat Faced Followers
Knife Follower
Roller Follower
Offset Follower

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•When the contacting end of the
follower is a perfectly flat face, it is
called a flat-faced follower, as
shown in Figure 5.a
•This has the advantage that the
only side thrust present is that due
to the friction between the follower
and the cam. Figure 5.a Cam
with Flat Faced
Follower
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• When the contacting end of the
follower has a sharp knife edge,
it is called a knife edge follower,
as shown in Fig 6.a
• This is the simplest type but not
often used due to the rapid rate
of wear. 
Figure 6.a Cam
with Knife-edge
Follower
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• When the contacting end of the
follower is a roller, it is called a
roller follower, as shown in Fig 7.a
• This eliminates the problem of
rapid wear since the sliding
effect is largely replaced by a
roller action.
Figure 7.a Cam
with Roller
Follower
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• When the motion of the
follower is along an axis away
from the axis of the cam centre,
it is called off-set follower as
shown in the Fig. 8.a

Figure 8.a Offset

Follower

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• The followers can have following types of Motion:

1. Uniform Velocity
2. Uniform Acceleration and Decceleration
3. Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM)
4. Parabolic Motion
5. Cycloidal Motion

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• Since the velocity is
constant, the follower
moves with uniform
velocity during its rise and
fall, the slope of the
displacement curve must
be constant as shown in
Figure 9

Fig 9. (a) Displacement Diagram (b) Velocity Diagram (c)

Acceleration Diagramwhen the follower moves with
uniform velocity.
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• Since the acceleration
and retardation are
uniform, therefore the
velocity varies directly
with time.
• The acceleration during
the first half of the
follower and deceleration
during the later half
which both are uniform.

Fig 10. (a) Displacement Diagram (b) Velocity Diagram (c)

Acceleration Diagramwhen the follower moves with
uniform acceleration.
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• Since the follower moves with a simple harmonic motion, therefore velocity
diagram consists of a sine curve and the acceleration diagram consists of a
cosine curve.

Fig 11. (a) Displacement Diagram (b) Velocity Diagram (c) Acceleration Diagramwhen the follower
moves with simple harmonic motion.
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• In this case the velocity and accelerations will be finite.
There is a constant acceleration for the first half and a
constant deceleration in the second half of the cycle.
However the third derivative, jerk, will be infinite at the two
ends

•  It may be observed that there are no abrupt changes in the

velocity and acceleration at any stage of the motion. Therefore,
cycloidal motion is the most ideal for high speed follower
motion
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The following terms are important in order to draw the cam profile.

Fig 12 Cam Nomeclature

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The following terms are important in order to draw the cam profile.

•Angle of Ascent: It is the angle of rotation of the cam during which the follower rises up.
•Angle of Descent: It is the angle of rotation of the cam during which the follower lowers
down.
•Angle of Dwell: It is the angle of rotation of cam during which the follower remains
stationary.
•Base Circle: It is the smallest circle that can be drawn to the cam profile from the centre of
rotation.
•Cam Angle: It is the angle turned through by the cam from the initial position.
•Cam Profile: The surface in contact with the follower is known as the cam profile.

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The following terms are important in order to draw the cam profile.

• Lift: It is the maximum travel of the follower from the lowest position to the topmost
position. It is also called throw or stroke of the cam.
• Pitch Point: It is a point on the pitch curve having the maximum pressure angle.
• Pitch Circle: It is the circle drawn through the centre and pitch point.
• Prime Circle: It is the smallest circle drawn to the pitch curve from the centre of rotation
of the cam.
• Pitch Curve: It is the curve generated by the trace point as the follower moves relative
to the cam.
• Pressure Angle: It is the angle between the direction of the follower motion and a
normal to the pitch curve.
• Trace Point: It is a reference point on the follower and is used to generate the pitch
curve. In the case of a knife edge follower, it is the knife edge, and in the case of a roller
follower, it is the centre of the roller.

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BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
 Cam and follower are widely used for operating inlet and
exhaust valve of I C engine.
 These are used in wall clock.
 These are used in feed mechanism of automatic lathe
Machine.
 These are used in paper cutting machine.
 Used in weaving textile machineries.

Technological University of the Philippines

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BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
 Technological University of the Philippines
Taguig Campus
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
END OF PRESENTATION

Technological University of the Philippines

Taguig Campus
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING